Second Chances
by JoAnnB
Summary: Sequel to Best For Everyone. A post amnesty story. Will old secrets revealed lead to the end of Heyes and Curry's partnership?
1. Revelation

**Second Chances**

**Part One – Revelation**

Silver Springs, New Mexico.

Five years after Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry

were granted amnesty by the governor of Wyoming.

"Excuse me," the man said quietly and cleared his throat. He looked around nervously as though being in a bar was not something he was accustomed to.

"Excuse me, are you Hannibal Heyes?" he repeated, in a slightly bolder voice.

The dark haired man who sat sipping a whiskey at the bar turned to see who had just called his name.

"That's me," he replied in a pleasant, though not particularly friendly tone. He took another swallow of whiskey and continued to look down into his glass

"Who are you, the mayor? Or one of the city councilmen?" he asked finally, when the other man remained silent.

"What? Oh, no, I'm not," the smaller man answered nervously. "Do you mind if I sit down?"

The former outlaw shrugged and studied the other man for a moment. He appeared to be about forty years old with light brown thinning hair. He wore a brown three-piece suit and small round spectacles rested on his nose, which gave his face a look that said "banker" or "accountant."

"Suit yourself," Heyes said, mentally dismissing the man and returning his attention to the whiskey glass that was now empty. Catching the bartender's eye, he motioned for a refill. He had grudgingly accepted the fact that most towns were inhabited by a few who were looking to make a buck off having Hannibal Heyes come to town. It started shortly after the amnesty. He had begun to notice that when he sat down at a poker table – especially one where the stakes were high – men seemed to come out of the woodwork to watch him play.

The townsfolk began to notice things too. When Hannibal Heyes was in town to play poker, more hotel rooms were rented, more drinks were sold and more dollars were spent in the other retail stores as well. It hadn't taken long before he began receiving invitations. He had been offered free room and board, free drinks, and once he had even been offered five hundred dollars to play in a Saturday night poker game.

At first, the Kid had been amused. "This is the life," he had said. "People are actually paying you to come and take their money." It hadn't taken long however, for Curry to notice that he was considerably less welcome in those same towns. While Heyes attracted a crowd that was fascinated with his card skills and stories of the outlaw trail, Curry attracted a different sort of crowd – one that most townsfolk were not so anxious to encourage.

"Well, if you were looking for me, you found me," Heyes said impatiently after noticing that the man had taken a seat next to him at the bar and ordered a drink.

"Actually, I was hoping you could tell my where I might find Kid Curry," the man said hesitantly.

Heyes stiffened and turned slowly to face the man seated next to him. There were usually two kinds of men that asked after the Kid. The first expected him to do gun tricks like some damned circus bear­­ – the second wanted to be the man that outdrew Kid Curry. Heyes surmised that this spectacled little man belonged to the first group.

"Go find your entertainment somewhere else," he told the man coldly and stood to leave.

"What? What are you talking about?" The man seemed genuinely confused.

"Excuse me, I've got to be heading out," Heyes said roughly and continued toward the door.

"Please, I must speak to him. It's a personal matter," the man pleaded.

Heyes stopped halfway to the door and turned around slowly. "Who are you?" he asked looking back at the stranger. "Do I know you?"

"No, Mr. Heyes, we've never met. I've never met Mr. Curry either but, like I said, it's a personal matter and I would genuinely appreciate it if you would tell me where I could find him."

"Well if you've never met him how can you have anything _personal_ to discuss?" Heyes was feeling a growing sense of uneasiness over what this man wanted with the Kid.

"It's regarding a – ah – mutual friend," the man said hesitantly.

"Look, whatever you've got to say to the Kid you can say to me. I'm tired and I'm in no mood to play games." Heyes was beginning to lose his patience.

"It's about – Catherine Walker. Do you remember her Mr. Heyes?"

Heyes' heart skipped a beat as he drew in a quick breath and stared back at the man in surprise. A picture of a seven-year-old girl with blonde curls came to his mind.

"I remember a little girl in Arizona, about six – seven years ago. What about her?" Heyes stepped closer to the man and leaned in so that his face was only a few inches from the other man's.

Most men would have been intimidated by the look in the former outlaw's eyes, but this stranger only took a slow breath and responded quietly, "Why don't we sit down and finish our drinks, Mr. Heyes?"

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Kid Curry walked anxiously down the street toward the Wild Horse Saloon, glancing to his left and right as he walked. He wasn't worried about Heyes – not really. He was sure his partner was fine. Heyes had wanted a quick drink at the saloon but the Kid had gone straight to the hotel so he could check in and order a bath. Curry had expected his partner to arrive by the time he had shaved and changed, but he'd been waiting over an hour and Heyes still hadn't turned up. He was sure that Heyes had gotten himself into a poker game, or maybe started telling stories to some of the patrons and lost track of time, but old habits die hard.

Curry still felt the need to watch Heyes' back, even though no one had tried to do him any harm in quite a few years. _The same can't be said for me_, he thought wryly to himself. There were still men who wanted to challenge him to the draw. Some were outlaws or ex-lawmen with an old grudge, but most were younger men figuring that the Kid was past his prime and hoping to make a name for themselves. _I may not be wanted, but I don't exactly have a fresh start either._ He gave a long sigh and turned the corner and quickened his pace. He remembered that the saloon Heyes had gone into was just one block up.

Continuing to scan the street as he walked, he caught sight of a woman on the other side and came to an abrupt halt. It couldn't be. It couldn't possibly be her. Curry stood there almost forgetting to breathe as the woman turned and caught sight of him. She seemed relieved to see him, not surprised or shocked as he would have expected. She gave a quick look up and down the street and then stepped out to cross.

Curry could only stand on the boardwalk with his jaw dropping as she headed straight for him. He wasn't at all sure what to make of this. The last time he had seen Eliza Walker, she had been married to a sheriff who had arrested and beaten him. The man had been bitter and angry and Curry was sure that he had intended to kill him. Before it was over, Eliza's husband was the one who ended up dead and he and Heyes had been responsible.

"Hello Jed," she said nervously glancing at his face and then looking away.

"Eliza." Curry acknowledged with a nod.

He was suddenly glad that he had taken the time to bathe and shave before heading out onto the street.

"How… how have you been?" he asked tentatively. She looked good. Her long brown hair was pulled attractively up on her head with a pretty jeweled pin. Although over thirty now, she was even more attractive than he remembered. Her green eyes were warm and bright and reminded him of the way she had looked as a young girl. Curry had worked briefly for her father for one summer many years ago, before he had started riding with the Devils Hole boys. He didn't live with too many regrets, not for the robbing or even most of the times that he'd had to use his gun, but he regretted the way he had left Eliza.

"You look great," he heard himself saying before he could stop himself.

She blushed and looked up. "Thank you. It…it was hard at first, but then it got better. Things have gone very well in fact." She smiled for a moment but then her face clouded. "All except…" She faltered for a moment as though trying to decide whether or not to finish, and then abruptly changed her tone.

"How have you been?" she asked brightly. "I heard about the amnesty. I'm happy for you. I was glad to hear that you wouldn't go to prison… it's sort of like what you and your cousin did for me, gave me a fresh start." She searched his face for a moment to see if he understood what she was saying.

His face was blank and she continued.

"I didn't realize how unhappy I was, how horrible Jake was, until after I was on my own for a while and then…I realized that I'd been slowly dying inside. One day I woke up and realized that I could live again. I could even be happy." She smiled at the memory. "Well, it looks like we've both been given a second chance for happiness."

A smile crept onto Curry's face as he listened to her. _Maybe so Eliza, maybe so…_

She looked up at him expectantly, obviously wanting to hear what he had done with his life since the amnesty.

Curry shifted uncomfortably, not sure what to say. He was surprised that just seeing her again could begin to stir feelings in him that he had thought were long gone. Looking at her now he began to think that perhaps he did have a reason to look forward to the future.

"How's your little girl?" he asked, not ready to turn the subject back to himself just yet.

"She must be pretty grown up by now."

"Yes, she…she certainly is growing up. She…" Eliza looked down.

"How are you?" she asked, shifting the subject back to him again.

"I'm doing alright. Heyes and me, we bought ourselves a little ranch in Utah. We've got a few horses. I've been spending some time working with them, getting some good breeding lines going." In truth, the horses were proving to be better company than most of the people he ran into so he'd taken to spending more and more time alone on the ranch. Heyes still traveled frequently to play cards and gamble. Most of their income came from Heyes' winnings, but he told himself that once the ranch became established, that would change.

"In fact, that's why we're here. We got a telegram from a man who wanted to see us about some horses. A man named Wainwright, maybe you know him?"

Eliza abruptly lowered her eyes and swallowed. "Well, actually…that was..."

Curry looked up and saw Heyes walking toward them in the company of slightly shorter man in a brown three-piece business suit.

Following his gaze, Eliza watched the men approach with a look of relief.

Heyes looked from the Kid to Eliza and back to the man walking next to him. He had a distant look in his eyes that Curry recognized immediately as a dilemma that Heyes was wrestling with.

As the men approached, Eliza reached out her arms and smiled as she joined hands with Heyes' companion.

"Jed," she said turning, "I'd like you to meet my husband, Joseph Wainwright."

Curry looked in shocked surprise at Eliza and her husband. His jaw dropped and he felt suddenly embarrassed by the thoughts he'd been having.

"Jed, don't worry, Joseph is nothing like Jake," she said giving her husband a warm smile.

Curry continued to look at the others nervously and had the awkward sensation of being the only one in the group who didn't know what was going on.

"I want to apologize for getting you here on false pretenses, Mr. Curry. We didn't want to go into detail in a telegram or letter, and we wanted to be sure that you would come." Wainwright smiled reassuringly.

Curry resisted the temptation to retreat and forced himself to shake hands with Eliza's husband. He glanced to Heyes for answers, but Heyes only returned a stiff smile and looked down uncomfortably.

"Eliza, have you told him yet?" Wainwright asked gently.

"No. We just started to talk."

"Told me what?" Curry asked, not sure whether he wanted to know.

"Why don't we all sit down and talk," Wainwright said, nodding toward a little cafe on the other side of the street.

A few minutes later they were seated around a small corner table in the cafe.

"Eliza and I were married four years ago," Wainwright began, glancing at Heyes and Curry. "We had met a year or so before when Eliza began making dresses for my mother. She's really quite talented," he added, giving his wife a warm smile.

"Joseph has taken some dresses that I made to Santa Fe to sell in a Ladies Dress Shop there," Eliza added proudly.

Curry smiled politely and gave his partner a nervous glance.

"I suppose you're wondering what this has to do with you?" Wainwright asked and Curry glanced up in surprise.

"Well, yeah, you send us a telegram saying you want to talk about buying some horses and we get here and you tell us it's all just some story to get us down here. I'm about ready to get back on the next stage if you don't start giving us some answers." Curry was becoming agitated and shot his partner a silent plea for backup. Heyes' silver tongue had been conspicuously absent since they had sat down.

"Kid, just listen to what they have to say," Heyes said quietly.

Curry gave his partner a scowl and returned his attention to Eliza's husband.

Wainwright glanced at his wife, who took a deep breath and looked at Curry.

"Jed," she began. "When I was married to Jake, I'd just about lost all faith in men to take care of Catherine and me. Lost faith in men period." She let out a sigh.

Curry looked down and closed his eyes, knowing that he was partly to blame for that.

"After Jake was killed, I wanted to be free to take care of Catherine by myself. I didn't want to be disappointed again. I didn't want Catherine to be disappointed." She looked up apologetically. "I was afraid that if you knew…you wouldn't leave…that there would be more trouble and…I was afraid." Her voice had dropped almost to a whisper and her husband took her hand in hers for support.

"Mr. Curry, what my wife is trying to say is that she knows it was wrong of her not to be honest with you and she is asking you try and understand, and forgive her."

"Understand?" Curry was staring at them in astonishment. "Eliza…what are you talking about?"

"Jed, Catherine is your daughter," Eliza stated flatly and waited for his reaction.

Curry stared back in shock as the words hit him. _All these years…_He swung a quick look at Heyes but the look on Heyes' face told him that this news was not a surprise to him.

"Does she know? About me?" His head was spinning. _He had a daughter…he was a father…._

"No, she doesn't know, she still thinks Jake was her father," Eliza said almost bitterly.

Curry's face twisted. "Then why?" he shouted back angrily. "You're married now, you're happy – she has a new father. Why are you telling me this now?"

"Kid," Heyes put a hand on his friends shoulder.

"What?" Curry glared at Heyes and then back at Eliza. "Why did you send for me?"

"Catherine isn't…happy. In fact, she's very angry. I never told her that Jake wasn't her father. I thought it would be best if she just thought her father was dead. I thought she could move on. I never dreamed she would stay angry–that she would blame me–grow to hate me." Eliza stopped abruptly as tears filled her eyes and she looked away.

"You never get over the murder of your parents," Curry said almost to himself.

Wainwright spoke up. "She remembers you two coming back to the house, after Jake was shot. She remembers that you were both hurt, that Eliza helped you. She figured out that you were the ones that killed her father and she didn't understand why her mother would help you. Eliza never told her what Jake was like, and since she was so young at the time she didn't understand."

Curry nodded gravely. "So we murdered her father, and then her mother protected us."

"Not we, me. I shot him. You were tied up at the time, remember?" Heyes interjected.

"Doesn't matter, it was all because of me anyway," Curry said bitterly.

"Look, gentlemen, none of us can change what happened. But we're very worried about Catherine. We hoped – I hope – that if she heard the whole story from both of you." He looked from Curry to Eliza. "Maybe she can understand why you did what you did. If she learns that Jake wasn't really her father – that her real father is alive­ – well maybe she wouldn't feel quite so lost."

Curry looked back at Wainwright and could see the man's sincerity in his face.

"Okay, I'll do whatever I can to help, but I don't know if it'll do any good," Curry said after a moment.

"Thank you, Mr. Curry, would you be able to come to our home tomorrow afternoon?"

"I'll be there…and…thank you," he said to Wainwright, standing to shake his hand. "Thank you for taking care of Catherine and…I'm very glad that Eliza found a good man." He had to admit to himself that no matter what hopes he'd had when he first saw Eliza, he could see that she had made a good choice.

Curry glanced at Heyes and the two turned and walked out of the café.

After walking the two blocks to their hotel in silence, Curry stopped and faced Heyes.

"Guess that was a pretty big shock, huh? Finding out after all these years that Catherine really was my daughter after all?" Curry's face was cold as he looked into his partner's face and waited for the answer. The answer he'd seen in his partner's eyes in the restaurant, the answer he's heard in his silence on the street.

Heyes returned his partner's look and replied solemnly, "No, it wasn't a surprise."

A look of betrayal showed briefly before being replaced by one of rage. 'Heyes, how could you keep something like that from me?" he demanded, fighting to restrain his fury. "We're partners. At least I thought we were. You were the one person I thought I could count on – the only person I could count on!"

"It's because we're partners that I didn't tell you," he replied crossing his arms.

"You want to explain that Heyes? Did you think that it might mess up the amnesty? That I might stay with them and leave you? Or did you think it would be dangerous? Was that it? You thought _you_ might get caught?" Curry's hands were balled into fists at his sides and he looked as though he were trying to decide what to do with them.

"You know better than that. I didn't tell you because Eliza asked me not to. Did you expect me to break my word to her?"

"Since when was keeping your word, more important than saying whatever got you what you wanted?" Curry sneered.

"Under the circumstances, I thought it was best," Heyes responded, his voice displaying irritation.

"For who Heyes? You? 'Cause it wasn't best for me – and it sure as hell doesn't sound like it's done her much good!

"Best for all of us! How was telling you going to help her? You were a wanted man, or have you forgotten?" Heyes glared at the Kid.

Curry glared back at his partner. "I left her 'cause of you, you know. I figured you'd end up dead without me to fight your battles for you," he continued angrily.

"You could have left anytime, _partner. _I don't need you to fight my battles," Heyes said sharply.

"Since when? Or are you too stupid to know you weren't good enough to take care of yourself! How many times Heyes? How many times did I face some gambler or outlaw who wanted to challenge you?!"

Heyes stared at his cousin in disbelief.

"And you keep me from my own child! Make her grow up without a father – just like –"

"Just like what, Kid?" Heyes cut in angrily. "Like you? Is that what this is about?"

Curry's right hook caught him by surprise and he staggered back.

"If you're as smart as you think you are, you'd better get away from me Heyes– before I do something I'll regret," Curry growled dangerously, his hand hanging near his gun.

Heyes stepped back in shock and rage, thinking for the first time in his life that his cousin and best friend might actually shoot him in anger.

"Well at least I'm not stupid enough to think of shooting my partner!"

"Heyes you better stay outta my sight from now on." Curry turned his back and started walking. "I'll go get a room at another hotel down the street," he said flatly.

"Forget it Kid, I'll get my own room, I wouldn't want to _put you out_," Heyes shouted and stared after him as he turned the corner and headed back toward the saloon.

_How could the Kid think that I wanted it to turn out this way? The damned idiot. _Heyes sighed, releasing his anger, and slumped against the street post. When he had seen through Eliza's story that Catherine's father had been a cowboy she met after the Kid left town, she had insisted that he not tell Curry. Against his protests, she'd insisted that she would never let an outlaw be her child's father. As far as she was concerned Curry had made his choice and the Kid had no right to be a part of Catherine's life. He'd thought about telling the Kid anyway, but he could only see it bringing Curry more heartache. After all, he'd already lost one family, how much can one man take? If anything happened to Eliza or Catherine because of him? _I never meant for it to turn out this way._

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Kid Curry awoke the next morning with the dreary feeling that usually followed a night of little sleep. From the look of the sun beating in through the half pulled blinds, it was well into the morning.

_Well, that figures._ After the argument he'd gone back to the hotel, not wanting to run into Heyes again and not feeling like sitting in a crowded room of strangers either. He'd lain awake most of the night unable to sleep, which was unusual for him. The events and revelations of the day had kept replaying in his mind in an endless cycle.

_Who was right and who was wrong? What should Eliza have done – Heyes have done – he have done differently? What would have been the right thing to do fifteen years ago – five years ago – what is the right thing to do now?_ His head began to hurt again. He didn't usually spend much time thinking about questions like that. That was Heyes' job. _Heyes…_ He shook his head and got out of bed. No, he didn't usually spend this much time thinking. He was a man of action. He usually saw things as black or white. Whatever kept him alive was right. There hadn't been much time to dwell on which action to take when he'd been running from the law. He usually just went with instincts, or Heyes' plans. He'd always trusted Heyes to figure out what was best for them. _When had that changed?_

With a long sigh, he started picking is clothes up and getting dressed. His thoughts returned to the present and the day ahead of him.

The prospect of seeing and talking to the daughter that he never knew he had was both enticing and terrifying at the same time. For most of his life he had faced new situations and changes with his best friend by his side. _The things he'd said to Heyes last night…_ This time he was on his own.

He wasn't sure what to expect from Catherine. Eliza and Joseph had said that she was angry. Well, he could understand that. When she learned the truth, she would probably feel she had been betrayed – he could understand that too. What would she expect from him? He wasn't sure that he knew how to be a father.

The impassive mask that he wore to cover fear and anxiety would be useless in this situation. _Just like his gun._ All of the skills that had kept him alive as an outlaw and hunted man were useless to him now. _Useless…_

He shook his head again as though he could rid himself of the thoughts simply by tossing them out.

Fully dressed now, he reached for his gun belt, but stopped short and pulled his arm back. He didn't need that now, he was a law abiding citizen. _A gunslinger, that's not how I want her to see me._ Carefully he laid his gun and gun belt in the top drawer of the single dresser and left the room.

Kid Curry ventured out onto the street, still feeling sleepy and looking forward to a cup of coffee. It wasn't his style to lay awake all night and worry. _That had been Heyes' job, but then Heyes wasn't around was he? Well, whose fault is that?_ Curry grimaced. _I didn't tell him to lie to me._ He continued to wrestle with the argument they'd had – wrestle with guilt and blame that had surfaced after yesterday's revelation.

Looking up and down the street, he half expected to find Heyes sitting and reading a newspaper, or having breakfast in the small hotel lobby, or strolling down the street, but he saw only strangers. He ate breakfast alone and then walked back outside and began wandering up the main street. He told himself he didn't want to run into Heyes. Not yet anyway. He was about to head back toward his hotel when a familiar form drew his attention at the end of the street. Eliza and a dark haired woman were walking out of a store carrying large bolts of fabric.

Curry tried to put a pleasant smile on his face to hide the emotions that he was struggling with. "Good Morning Eliza," he said cordially.

"Jed," Eliza said with a combination of surprise and awkwardness.

"Oh, this is my friend, Susana. She helps me with dressmaking.

"Susana, this is Jed Curry." She said it plainly as though no further explanation was necessary.

The Mexican woman with Eliza smiled and took a moment as though appraising the man before speaking.

"I'm very pleased to meet you, Senior Curry. Eliza – has told me much about you."

Curry smiled back, unsure how to respond at first, but reassured by the warm smile and gentle look in the woman's eyes.

"Uh, I'm pleased to meet you too, Ma'am," he said, hesitantly.

"Eliza, I'll take our fabric to the carriage," Susana said, reaching for the bolt that the other woman carried.

"Let me do that," Curry said quickly, taking both bolts and carrying them to the carriage that stood waiting in front of the store.

"Thank you," Eliza said quietly after the fabric had been deposited. "Can you come by at two? Catherine went riding south of town this morning." And then as if she felt the need to explain further. "She loves riding, she has her own horse and…it usually puts her in a better mood so I told her she could skip chores and go riding this morning. I was hoping…" The words trailed off.

"That–she'd be in a good mood when she met me," Curry finished for her.

Eliza looked up slightly embarrassed. "I hope so," she said, with a small smile.

"I'll be there at two," he said, nodding to the women as Eliza took the reins and the two headed off.

000

The Wainwright home stood at the end of a long driveway, in a part of town where wealthier residents lived. As he neared the front door, Kid Curry could already hear voices raised in anger. He paused on the porch, not sure if he should knock or wait for the argument to subside. Before he could decide, the door was flung open and he found himself looking directly into a pair of fiery blue eyes.

"You!" the girl spat out accusingly. She stared at his face and seemed to grow even angrier as the recognition brought back memories of the day her father died–was shot. Her first memory of Kid Curry was of him standing in her home with a gun pointed at her father. "You will never be my father. Just because you – and her –" Catherine gave her mother a disdainful look. "That doesn't give you any right to come here now and be my father! My father was a sheriff, he arrested criminals like you – and you murdered him! I wish he had killed you instead!" She pushed by him and ran into the yard.

Confused images filled her head as she raced toward her black mare that stood, still saddled, by the side of the house.

"Catherine –" Her mother gasped. "Where are you going?"

"Some place where no one lies to me!" She swung up onto her horse and turned back toward the main road.

Catherine remembered that man holding a gun on her father. She remembered running in front of her father and shouting at the man with the gun. As the years passed and she had gotten older, she had often wondered why he'd put his gun down and let himself be taken. As a young child, she had simply believed that he'd surrendered to the lawman because he was an outlaw and outlaws were supposed to surrender. But as she'd matured she realized that something had been wrong about the situation. Kid Curry had his gun drawn with a clear shot of the sheriff. A little girl standing in between them offered no real obstacle. If his intent had been to shoot the lawman and get away, why hadn't he taken the shot? If he was half as good as his reputation claimed, he'd have had no trouble.

She remembered her father's strong arm holding her in front of him after she'd run up to him. As a little girl, she had thought that her father was accepting her protection, even comforted by her presence, but as she grew older she questioned that as well. _Could it have been that Jake knew the outlaw wouldn't shoot with a little girl in front of him?_ She had rejected that idea since she'd always heard Kid Curry was a notorious gunfighter, and a gunfighter certainly didn't have a conscience. _And yet – he hadn't shot._

_Was it because what her mother said was true?_ She knew her mother had helped the men who had returned to their home, bloody and injured that day. She was pretty sure her mother hadn't told the whole story to the deputy in town either. It had confused her when her mother told her that doing the _right_ thing wasn't always what it seemed. It had further confused her when her mother still expected _her_ to obey the rules. Then, when she'd heard that those men – Heyes and Curry – who she _knew_ had killed her father and robbed all those trains and banks were granted _amnesty_ – she'd been furious. That one of them might be her real father was just too much!

She rode down the driveway toward the main road and began to gallop.

Wainwright put his arm protectively around his wife. "Let her go, she needs some time to think about this. She'll go back to Carmen's, they'll look after her."

Curry still stood by the door and hadn't yet said a word. He felt awkward being both at the center and on the outside of this family conflict, not sure if he should stay or go.

Eliza struggled to hold back a sob. "I've lost her Joe, she hates me."

"No, she just needs time to get used to this. We knew she wouldn't take this well, at least not at first. She's a good girl and she loves you, she'll come around."

"I should have told her so much sooner; I've made such a mess of everything."

Joseph Wainwright pulled his wife closer and began to rub her back. "It will all work out, you'll see," he said gently.

"Oh, Jed," Eliza said suddenly as though just realizing that he was still standing by the door. "Please come in. I'm so sorry for what Catherine said; she had no right to talk to you that way."

The former outlaw smiled wryly. "Oh, I don't know, I figure she may have the right. She didn't say anything that wasn't true."

Eliza frowned. "Well you certainly didn't murder Jake; your cousin shot him in self defense. Jake would have killed you both."

"Maybe, but I'm not sure that makes any difference to her right now. Should someone go after her? Will she be ok?"

"Oh, yes, Susana will look after her."

"Susana? The woman that I met in town today? Curry asked.

"Yes. She's very close to Susana's family. We met when we first moved here, before I married Joseph. I had begun taking orders for dresses and before long I had more than I could keep up with. I needed someone to help me with the sewing and I found Susana. We worked such long hours that some nights Catherine would stay with Susana's family. They have a daughter, Carmen who is Catherine's age. The girls are best friends now, more like sisters really. Susana's husband was very good to Catherine too; he taught her to ride and treated her like one of his own. That was before I married Joseph of course, but Catherine still spends most of her free time with Carmen.

Curry nodded, trying to take it all in. "I'm afraid I'm not very good at this kind of thing. I'll be at the hotel tonight if you need anything. Let me know…when she gets home." He didn't wait for an answer and turned to go.

"Mr. Curry," Joseph said quickly. "Please stay in town. Catherine will want to talk to you, I'm sure of it. As soon as she's calmed down a little. She seems to have a bit of a fiery temper at times, but she'll come to her senses. She still has some growing up to do."

"Yeah, maybe she'll beat me to it," Curry said absently, as he looked past the couple and gazed out the window.

On his way back to the hotel, he passed a saloon and thought about getting seriously drunk, but knew he wouldn't. That wasn't how he'd want his daughter to find him – if she did ever decide to see him. _What would Heyes say if he were here? I need to find him, straighten things out. _With a long sigh, he continued walking, feeling very much alone.

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The next morning Kid Curry lay awake after much of the same fretting and worrying as the night before. He decided on one thing however; today he was going to find Heyes – if he was still in town, and set things right between them. He dressed in his regular riding clothes this time and decided that he would wear his gun. If he was going to be asking around about Hannibal Heyes, no sense denying he was Kid Curry.

Stepping out the front door of the hotel, he immediately sensed the tension on the street. Worried frowns were on most of the faces he saw and many seemed to be rushing one way or the other down the street. An icy chill ran down his spine when he saw an unusually large crowd gathered outside of the sheriff's office.

_I'm not a wanted man anymore. No posse or bounty hunter would be looking to collect a reward on me. Why do I still let a scene like this get to me? _

Nearing the crowd, he slowed his pace and began to scan the faces of the group for any clues as to what had caused the commotion. Alarm bells went off in his head when he recognized Eliza standing closest to the man with the tin star. She was gesturing wildly with her arms and seemed to be in a state of panic. Wainwright stood by her side and seemed equally angry and upset, though a little more restrained than his wife.

Curry began to push his way through the crowd and tried to pick up what was being said. "She's my daughter! I will not wait until you –" Eliza's voice stood out over the crowd and he felt the knot in his stomach tighten. _What had happened to Catherine?_

"You have to go after them, Sheriff; they've been riding all night as it is." Wainwright's pleading voice could also be heard.

"Now Mrs. Wainwright, we just have to figure out what happened first, I'm not sending a group of my men off into the desert on the word of some Mexican. Maybe the girl just ran off." The sheriff's voice sounded irritated and angry.

"Sheriff!" A new voice shouted from the street and all heads turned toward a group of riders who had just ridden up. "The Carter girl is missing too. They think it was Apaches, someone found a couple of big feathers – the kind them injuns wear, laying in the yard after they rode off.

Curry was standing next to Wainwright now and he put his hand on the man's shoulder to get his attention.

"Oh, Mr. Curry," he said quietly, "I'm so glad you're here. These men won't listen to us. Catherine never made it to Jorge's home last night." He glanced at the Mexican man standing next to him. "Some men in their neighborhood have an idea what happened but the Sheriff won't listen."

"What happened?" Curry asked, his face hard and serious.

Jorge and Susana found Catherine's horse standing in front of their home this morning. They never saw her last night.

The Mexican man spoke up. "I trained that horse myself for Catherine, he would have never left her if there had not been trouble."

"So you see, we know she didn't run off by herself," Eliza added. "Tell him what you told me this morning, Jorge."

"Two days ago, some men came around asking questions. They were banditos. They said a rich man they knew would pay big money for…for pretty young American girls. He wanted a wife with blue eyes and light hair. We told them to go away, they were loco. We thought they had been drinking, no one would do such a thing." Jorge looked nervously at Curry. "Senior I swear, no man from this town would do that."

"What about this other girl, did she have light hair too?" Curry asked.

"Blond hair and blue eyes," Eliza quickly answered.

"What about the feather they found?"

"Easy trick, blame the Apache up north and send the law that way while they head toward the border," Curry concluded grimly.

"Sheriff, you've got to get a posse together right away and head out after them," Wainwright pleaded..

"We're going to send some men north toward those Apache camps," a man in the crowd shouted.

"No. South toward Mexico," Curry said decisively.

"Bill Carter's got an injun feather and they got his little girl. We're gonna go find every last one of them–"

"Easy John, we will," the sheriff said in a placating voice.

"Harvey, gather up some men." He turned toward one of his deputies and continued issuing orders.

"Wait a minute, aren't you even going to listen to this man? Curry grabbed hold of the sheriff's arm as he started to turn away.

"You try that again mister, and you'll be under arrest," the sheriff said, pulling free of Curry's hold and giving him an appraising look.

"We have a reliable witness that says it was Indians," the sheriff said in a tone clearly indicated the decision had been made.

"What if you're wrong?" Curry demanded.

"Who are you anyway? I don't recognize you from around here?" The sheriff asked.

"I'm a friend of the family," he said stonily.

"Hey!" someone shouted from the crowd, "that there's Kid Curry!"

"Kid Curry?" The sheriff had now given the other man his complete attention.

"I heard Heyes and Curry were in town, but I hadn't gotten around to looking into it yet. Maybe we _are_ looking in the wrong place," the sheriff said slowly. "Maybe you've got some old gang members out in those hills? And where's your partner, Heyes?"

Curry narrowed his eyes and took a step closer toward the sheriff. "You heard the man, it was Mexican bandits, you've gotta get some men riding toward the border." He was trying desperately to maintain his composure, while every ounce of him wanted to throttle the man.

"Just what is you business here anyway?" the sheriff asked derisively.

Wainwright stepped between them and spoke up. "Sheriff, please, this isn't helping. This man is a friend of ours and he might be helpful going after the bandits."

"I don't know about Wainwright's girl, but it was Apache's that took mine! I got the feather to prove it!"

"He's right, we gotta mount up," one of the other men said sharply, and was followed by a series of nods and acknowledgements.

"Maybe I should lock you up on suspicion," the sheriff threatened, looking right at Curry. "But I don't have time. Let's go!" he shouted to the others. "We head north! Go home and get as many guns as you got." The men all headed off in different directions to make plans for a quick departure.

"No" Eliza wailed as the men walked away. She turned to her husband with a desperate look.

"I'll go after her," Curry stated flatly and moved out toward the street. "I'll need a horse."

"I can get you one," Wainwright said quickly.

"It'll have to be fast, I've got a lot of time to make up."

The Mexican man who had been forgotten for the moment spoke up. "You can go through the mountains. There is a trail. It is very tricky if you do not know it well, the banditos are not from around here, they will take the easier, but longer, road and go around. You can make up the time."

Curry considered this for a moment.

"You will not be able to find the way on your own. I will take you."

"Papa, you will lose your job if you go," a young Mexican girl suddenly said.

"I will be your guide," she offered, turning toward the American.

Curry started to protest, but the Mexican man looked proudly at his daughter. "Yes, she knows the trail well, she can do it. But Carmen, you must not go any further than the edge of the mountains. No matter what happens, you cannot help him fight those men."

"Yes, papa." The girl nodded obediently.

"Take my horse, Senior Curry, he knows the trails and will be sure footed."

"I'll go too, you'll need help," Wainwright offered his assistance.

"How good are you with a gun?" Curry asked doubtfully.

"Well, I…um…"

"No, you'd only be in the way."

"But Jed, you can't take them on alone." Eliza gave him a worried look.

"He won't be alone." A new voice sounded from behind them.

"Heyes." Curry said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I already have a horse. Let's get going," he said in the authoritative voice that Curry had grown to rely on over the years.

"Go saddle my horse," Jorge urged his daughter. "Muy rapido!" he called as she ran off.

"You'll need supplies too. I'll take care of that." Eliza's face had taken on a new look of hope as she hurried off after Carmen.

"Thank you," Wainwright told both men. "I'll go help them get things ready." He turned and followed the others.

"Heyes," Curry said again hesitantly.

"Look, before you start with me, I've just got one thing to say. I'm going with you and that's final," Heyes said gruffly.

"I was just going to say thanks, for being here," Curry said quietly.

"Well, where'd you think I'd be?" Heyes asked.

"Right beside me," Curry said quietly.

Heyes shifted uneasily. "Ok then, let's get going."

"Right," Curry said nodding. His face filled with worry again as his thoughts returned to Catherine.

To Be Continued


	2. Redemption

**Second Chances**

**Part Two – Redemption**

The two former outlaws had the gear and supplies packed in less than an hour and were already deep into the mountains by noon. Kid Curry was beginning to realize just how valuable their young guide was. The trail was a maze of crevices and rocky ledges. Some of the narrow passages looked like certain dead ends—only to open up unexpectedly into wider trails that they could navigate easily. He was soon convinced that Carmen's father had been right. There was no way that riders who were unfamiliar with the terrain would attempt to go through the mountains. The outlaw gang and their captives would have taken the longer way around, and hopefully, seeing no posse on their tail, let their guard down. He didn't know exactly how many men were in the group, but he figured there would be at least five or six, since that was the number of strangers that the Mexican townsfolk had said were asking around about blonde girls.

"Mr. Curry?" the girl asked finally breaking the man's train of thought. "Are you really Catherine's father?"

Curry looked back in surprise. He hadn't expected such a straightforward question from the girl. Most folks he'd met liked to waltz around a subject like that. He thought about giving her an evasive answer, or telling her that it was a subject for grown-ups, but here she was, leading two former outlaws through a treacherous mountain trail and chasing after a group of bandits who were abducting young girls. He figured that was grown up enough for a straight answer.

"Catherine is my daughter," he said simply. Whether or not he was a _father_ remained to be seen, s far as he was concerned.

"Well then..." the girl gave him a puzzled look. "Why haven't you come to see her before now?" A look of embarrassment crossed her face and she turned away. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…"

"No. It's o.k.," he said trying to reassure her that he wasn't angry because of her question. "I didn't know Catherine was my daughter until two days ago."

The girl seemed surprised. "Really? Oh, I just thought…"

Curry glanced at his partner, who had been conspicuously quiet during most of the ride.

"Look, Carmen, I didn't know, but I'm not sure that I would have been able to do anything different even if I had."

"You mean because you were—" She broke off abruptly as though she were afraid to say the word and then looked away, her face unreadable for a moment.

"It's alright Carmen. You don't have to be afraid to say it. I was an outlaw—I was a wanted man. I couldn't have been much of a father to her then."

"You don't seem like an outlaw, Mr. Curry," she answered quietly.

"Oh, and what do you know about outlaws?" he asked with a laugh.

"I know they are dangerous. They rob and hurt people."

Curry's face hardened. "I suppose that's true enough. Why'd you offer to be our guide?"

"To help Catherine, it was the only chance to save her," the girl said, almost defiantly.

"You'd put yourself at risk to save your friend?" Curry asked.

"Of course, and she'd do the same for me."

Curry's face softened and he managed a small smile. "Sounds like Catherine is very lucky to have you for a friend."

"We're going to get her back," he said after a moment, as much to himself as to the girl.

They rode on again in silence, each concentrating on navigating the trail and moving as quickly as they could. The sense of urgency was uppermost in each riders mind.

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As darkness approached, the two former outlaws began anxiously studying the terrain ahead of them.

"When do we reach the end of the mountains?" Heyes asked their young guide, who had been leading silently for the last hour or so.

"Not long now, maybe another mile," she answered wearily.

"Alright," Heyes said with an air of authority. "We'll make camp at the entrance and you'll head back at sun up. We can track them the rest of the way from here."

Carmen nodded wordlessly and rode on.

Heyes and Curry formed various rescue scenarios in their heads. How they would do it depended on the number of men in the gang, whether or not the terrain would allow for an ambush, whether they caught up with them during the night or day...the variables were endless.

The sudden shrill cry of the horse as it stumbled and fell took all three riders by surprise.

"Heyes!" Curry exclaimed as he and Carmen looked on in horror while Heyes' horse toppled down on top of him. The Kid and the girl dismounted in an instant, with Carmen taking the reins of both animals to keep them calm while Curry scrambled to his partner's side and the fallen horse.

"I'm ok," Heyes announced in a shaky voice, "I got my leg out before he landed."

Carefully he stood and began to brush himself off. "Nothing broken, just a few bruises."

Curry breathed a sigh of relief. He could tell by the way his partner moved that he was probably hurt worse than he let on, but at least he could stand and it didn't look like anything was broken.

The horse on the ground whinnied again and thrashed its legs in an attempt to stand.

Carmen, who still held the other two horses, gave the men a frightened look.

"I'm afraid I can't say the same for him," Curry observed grimly after a brief exam of the animal.

"We can't go after them riding double," Heyes said quietly.

"She can't make it back on foot," Curry added with a quick glance back at Carmen.

With a final nod from Heyes the decision was made.

"Heyes will have to ride with you," he told the girl, "and you'll have to come along with us. Do exactly what we tell you and you'll be safe. He gave her a reassuring look that he didn't feel.

"Don't worry about me, just find those banditos and rescue Catherine," she answered back bravely.

Curry nodded and then regretfully returned his attention to the injured horse. "Must have lost his footing, or maybe stepped in a snake hole," he said shaking his head. "You two ride on a ways, I'll catch up."

Heyes and Carmen rode out, not looking back when they heard the expected single gunshot. In a few minutes they heard Curry's horse trot up behind them.

"Just around the next bend, that is where the trail opens out onto the desert," Carmen announced after another few minutes had gone by.

"Ok , we make camp here out of sight from the desert. I'll scout out the area up ahead and see if I can find any sign of them," Curry said, untying his pack and the one he'd removed from Heyes' horse and tossing them down. He gave his mount a quick kick and rode out.

Left behind, Heyes and Carmen unloaded the supplies and set up a camp for the night. They both knew the rest would be a short one.

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The trio rode out at sunrise, Curry riding Carmen's father's buckskin and Heyes riding double with Carmen on her bay. Curry's expedition the night before had been successful and he had spotted the gang of kidnappers camped across the desert at the base of another small mountain range. From a distance, he could not tell exactly what condition the girls were in, but he counted eight men and two girls, but only six horses—which meant they wouldn't be traveling fast. If the gang traveled due south—the most direct route to the border—they would have to cross the desert and come in contact with the mountains that Heyes and Curry were riding along.

"We'll head east and then wait for them to pass by. If they're riding double with the girls, we can't let them turn and run—and we can't miss." Curry made the statement with a hard and questioning look at his partner. Heyes knew what he meant without Curry having to spell it out. _If it came to shooting, they would have to shoot to kill or the wounded men would flee, taking the girls with them. There was no margin for error or hesitation._

Heyes shook his head and frowned. "I dunno Kid, there's gotta be another way. The girls could get hit by stray bullets."

"Not if _your _aim is true. Those bandits are going to be aiming up into the rocks where the shots are coming from. The only bullets coming their way will be ours. If you're not up to it—give me your gun." The usually warm blue eyes had taken on a darker, colder hue.

"Kid, you know I'll back you up—whatever you decide—it's your call. I just want to make sure we get those girls out alive. Any way we have to," he added, looking his partner straight in the eye.

Curry nodded curtly and rode on.

Heyes followed, thinking of the many times he'd been pursued by posses intent on hunting him down and killing him. This time he was the hunter. He swallowed hard and continued to ride on along the edge of the mountains.

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Curry, who'd been riding in front, suddenly reined his horse to a stop.

"Heyes, what are they doing?" he asked sharply, gesturing toward the group they had been watching.

"Dunno, they seem to be splitting up, looks like about five heading north and the others staying put," Heyes responded, studying the landscape.

"Can you tell which group has the girls?" Curry asked anxiously.

"I don't think they are in the group riding north."

"I think you're right," Curry agreed. "We may have caught a lucky break here."

"Maybe," Heyes replied cautiously.

"Maybe? There can't be more'n two or three of them bandits left behind. Now's the time to make our move. There's no tellin' what those others are up to, or where they're going. We need to move now." Curry picked up his pace and started riding in a surreptitious way across the canyon, keeping close to rocks and cover so as not to be seen by the kidnappers.

Heyes and Carmen followed silently, neither one sure what they would find when they finally reached the other group.

As the trio came closer to the camp site, they could see that indeed there were only two bandits guarding the captives. They two girls sat close together next to a large rock. Their hands and possibly their feet tied, but otherwise appeared in good shape. Two horses stood grazing near by.

"Heyes," Curry said in a low voice, as they neared, "I'll draw their fire out here and you come in from behind and get the girls out and up into the cover of those rocks.

The former outlaw leader nodded silently. He'd never questioned the Kid's strategies when armed confrontations were required. "Don't take any more risks than you have to, I'll get the girls out as quick as I can."

Curry looked briefly at Carmen. "You stay back here with the horses," he told her sternly. "Be ready to ride out fast."

The girl's eyes were wide with fear. More for her friend than herself, Curry surmised.

"Don't worry, we're _all_ going to ride out of here," he said more gently, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Alright, you ready?" he asked his partner, as he slid the Colt out of his holster and checked the load.

Heyes nodded once and set off climbing up the steep hillside.

Curry moved closer and watched his partner get into position. So far, luck had been with them. The two bandits hadn't seen or heard them yet, and the girls hadn't noticed them either. Finally, he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his partner emerge just above the girls.

With a steady hand he slid the Colt once again out of his holster and aimed it at one of the bandits. A clean shot pierced the man's right arm and a second narrowly missed the other outlaw as the man dove behind a rock and fired back toward the source of the shots. Curry fired several more shots toward both men, while crouching low behind a large rock. He continued firing, holding both men's attention, as he watched Heyes drop down next to the girls and begin to untie them.

"Damn!" he swore out loud when he saw a third bandit on the hillside above Heyes and the girls. _Where the hell did he come from?_

There was no time to warn Heyes without drawing more attention from the other bandits and he couldn't get a clear shot at the man on the hill without coming out from behind the rocks. His decision was made in a split second when he saw the bandit stretch out his arm with a gun aimed at Heyes and the girls. Jumping up, Kid fired directly at the bandit, hitting him before he had a chance to get a shot off, and sent him tumbling down the hillside into the bushes. He knew the move had cost him, when he felt hot lead rip into right leg. As he fell to the ground he managed one more shot that sent the third bandit to the ground as well.

Heyes quickly disarmed the only bandit who was still moving, grabbing the man's gun on his way to check on his fallen partner.

Heyes looked at Curry's leg and frowned. "How bad is it Kid?"

"Bad enough," Curry said tightly. "Any idea where those other guys went?" he asked the two frightened girls who were staring, in shock, at their two rescuers.

"They said they were going to go get more horses. They said there was a town east of hear and they'd be back before dark," Catherine answered in a shaky voice.

Both men looked east. "No sign of them yet, but it's late afternoon, they could show up any time now," Heyes said, thinking aloud. He quickly surveyed the camp. "Tie that one up and gag him," he directed, gesturing toward the first bandit that Kid had shot in the arm.

Wide eyed, the two girls obeyed.

"Heyes, you've gotta take these girls and get outta here." Curry gave his partner a pleading look.

Heyes took a deep breath. "No, we could take 'em here—try and surprise them when they come back into camp." Heyes looked around the campsite and then scanned the surrounding desert.

Catherine spoke up suddenly. "Are you crazy? I'm not waiting for them to come back! I'm getting out of here now." She looked desperately from one man to the other.

"She's right. Heyes, go, and take the girls," Curry said forcefully. Then he continued more softly, "I'll try and take out as many as I can when they come back to the campsite so they won't come after you."

Catherine blanched as she realized what Curry was saying. "You can't stay here, they'll kill you!" Heyes ignored the girl's outburst and looked at his cousin. "No. We can't outrun them anyway. We'd have to ride through that desert to get to the nearest town. They'd spot us on their way back and we'd be sitting ducks. We've got to try and ambush them here. It's our only chance."

Curry let out a resigned sigh and closed his eyes. Heyes wasn't sure if he had convinced the other man, or if he simply didn't have the strength to argue. He waited as Curry seemed to rally his strength and then opened his eyes to study the landscape.

Carmen entered the camp leading the two horses and was now standing with the other two girls.

"If they don't see their men standing guard, they'll probably split up and surround the camp, come in from both sides. One of us should ride out a ways into the canyon and try to cut them off. Guess that'll have to be you," Curry said grimacing as he tried to shift his position on the ground. "I'll stay here and take the ones that circle 'round and come into camp from the north."

Heyes nodded again and then looked at his partner with concern. "Can you handle it here?"

"Heyes, I'm hit in the leg, not the arm. I can shoot just fine,"

"Alright, I'm going to ride out a ways and see if I can spot anything." Heyes looked silently at his friend for a minute and then took off at a quick gallop.

As Heyes rode away, Catherine stared curiously at Curry. "Why are you doing this? Why did you come after me?"

"Catherine, no matter what you think of me, I'm your father, I couldn't just let them take you."

"But why now? You left my mother when you found out she was having your child. You didn't care about me then. Why do you all of a sudden care now?"

"What? Did she tell you that?"

"Well, no, I just assumed that was why you left?"

Curry sighed and closed his eyes.

_What could he say to her? He had elaborate excuses, no extenuating circumstances, nothing except the truth. Something he'd barely admitted to himself._

"Catherine, you ran out that night before we could explain, before I could tell you why I didn't go back. I loved your mother very much."_ I still do._ "I told myself that Heyes needed me, but, to be honest, the thought of getting married and settling down scared me. I'd lost a family once and I didn't think I could handle it happening again. We'd already gotten into a fair amount of trouble, Heyes and me, and I figured I'd just bring her a lot of heartache. I honestly thought she'd find someone who could give her a better life than I could."

He closed his eyes for a moment and Catherine thought he looked like he was hurting. She wondered whether it was a memory from the past or his broken leg that was causing the pain she saw in his face.

"I never knew she was going to have a child, Catherine—I swear to you, if I'd known about you, I'd have gone back. I never would have left you alone, even if it meant serving prison time for the train robbery." His face had such a look of raw honesty and vulnerability that she didn't quite know how to respond.

This certainly wasn't what she expected to hear from Kid Curry, outlaw and gunman. Wasn't he supposed to be a cold-hearted killer? A ruthless gunfighter? She was still trying to sort out what she had just heard, when a shout suddenly claimed her attention.

"Riders! We'd better get into position," Heyes shouted as he ran toward the

Curry nodded, he couldn't do much besides stay right were he was. "Be careful," he warned.

"You too," Heyes replied, swallowing hard. They both knew their chances were not good. He nodded once and then turned and rode out.

"How do you know he won't just ride off and leave us all here?" Catherine asked with a nervous glance back at the other two girls.

"He's my cousin. You don't leave family," he said firmly, and then glanced over at the rifle that had belonged to one of the bandits. "Have any of you ever fired a rifle?" He asked, looking at the three girls.

Catherine and Carmen both nodded. "I'll take it," Catherine said quickly and walked over to pick up the rifle.

"Bring it here," Kid directed.

She brought him the rifle and then watched as he checked to make sure it was ready to fire. "If any of them get past Heyes and me shoot to kill," he said as he handed the rifle to his daughter.

She nodded solemnly as his meaning sunk in—if he and Heyes were dead. Quickly the three girls crouched down behind an outcropping of rocks to wait. Three men returned to the camp and looked cautiously around to see what had happened to their sentries.

_Good, that leaves only two for Heyes. _Curry meticulously checked the load in his Colt and waited for the men to come into range. Patiently he waited for the right moment and then pulled the trigger. His first shot caught one of the bandits in the shoulder and sent the other two diving for cover. Three more quick shots pinned them behind a large rock.

He rolled, planning to fire two more shots from the other side to get them moving and then take them down when they ran for cover. The pain that shot through his body as he rolled over his injured leg took him by surprise. He gasped and closed his eyes for a moment.

When he opened them again his vision was blurred and the world was spinning. He could reload his gun blindfolded, but he couldn't hit his mark if he couldn't focus his target. Shaking his head slightly to try and clear his head, he turned back to the two bandits and fired two shots. There was no response.

They were on him before he had the chance to turn and take another shot. Rough hands grabbed him from behind and dragged him out into the open. Curry's legs buckled as the men pulled him into a standing position. The bandits sneered and laughed as he struggled in their grasp. The pain shooting through his leg seemed to radiate through his entire body.

"¿Dónde están las muchachas?" One of the men growled as he gave the injured man a rough shake.

"What?" Curry asked, with a blank expression.

The answer was a vicious blow to his face that left his head spinning and his mouth tasting of warm blood.

"The girls," the man repeated slowly and drew back his hand to strike again.

"Rot in hell," Curry replied hoarsely.

This time the blow landed in his ribs and he would have doubled over if he hadn't been held securely by the strong man. Curry gasped and tried to fight back, but was struck again across the face, nearly causing him to black out. The bandit, who'd been holding him upright while the other gave the beating, shook him roughly to regain his attention.

The man put his gun to Curry's head and looked at his partner, who merely shrugged in agreement. He cocked the pistol.

At that sound Curry gave up any hope he would survive, and instead prayed that Heyes would kill the other two kidnappers and get back before these guys found the girls. The pain in his leg was excruciating and he was losing the thin grip that he held on consciousness when a rifle shot jolted him back to awareness.

The bandit who'd been holding Curry upright slumped to the ground taking the injured man with him. Acting on reflex, Curry grabbed the fallen man's gun, rolled onto his back and fired at the remaining man. The other outlaw, who had turned his attention toward the source of the shot, looked down in shock and disbelief as he stumbled and fell.

The third bandit, who had been watching the scene while nursing his injured arm, started to scramble for his fallen gun. "Leave it. Unless you want another bullet," Curry ordered, and the man held up his uninjured arm in surrender, the other one hanging at his side dripping blood.

"Over there." Curry motioned for the man to join his two associates who were lying on the ground. When the three men were all in his sights, he managed a quick look over his shoulder where the rifle shot had come from. He expected to see Heyes, but was surprised by the sight of the three girls emerging from behind the rocks where they had been hiding. Catherine stepped out in front, holding the rifle Kid had given her.

Catherine looked worriedly at the man she had shot.

"He'll survive, but he's not going to hurt you," Curry assured her, seeing her guilt. "None of them will, not any more," he added bitterly.

The last bandit shot lay deadly still on the ground. He knew he was on borrowed time, but he had to keep those other two covered until Heyes got back.

"Gather up their guns and bring them here," he told the two girls, then he drew on all of the reserve he could muster, and waited.

It wasn't long before he heard a horse approaching. Anxiously, he struggled to make out the rider. It was his partner, and he was alone.

Kid closed his eyes as he lay on the ground trying to catch his breath. The pain in his leg had not subsided and he felt the sticky wetness of new blood. His jaw ached and he still had a metallic taste in his mouth from where the bandit had struck him.

It didn't make much difference any more. He didn't think he could make the ride into town, and even if he could, he was sure the bullet had shattered the bone in his leg. The likelihood of gangrene and amputation was high. He's seen plenty of men left like that after the war and he almost wished that the bandit had put a bullet in his head. As long as the girls were safe, it didn't matter what happened to him anymore. Heyes was there and he'd take care of everything.

Feeling a cold chill, he began to shiver uncontrollably. He shut his eyes against the throbbing in his leg. The pain began to radiate upwards and outwards. It reached his stomach and he became nauseous. He concentrated on maintaining control of his body so as not to worry the girls.

The others were coming closer, and he heard the sound of crying_. _"Please don't die! Please!" Catherine was shouting at the limp form of the man who had rescued her, the man who had offered his life up for hers.

"You can't die now. Not now—please don't die." She was sobbing and rocking back and forth as she held on to his shoulders. Carmen was sitting on the other side of Curry, pressing a wad of torn fabric against his wound, she looked down at the blood soaked fabric and then desperately up at Catherine. Catherine looked down at the leg wound and realized that he would bleed to death if they didn't get it stopped soon. Quickly she ripped more fabric off the bottom of her petticoat and handed it to Carmen, who used it to tie more bandages around Curry's leg.

"Kid! Kid wake up! You did it partner, the girls are safe."

"Heyes, shut up. There's no need to yell." Curry's head felt as if a sledgehammer had hit it, and the noise made it worse. Slowly he opened his eyes and looked up at Catherine and Heyes who were leaning over him.

"You're going to be ok partner, the girls are safe and we got the whole gang," Heyes said whispering anxiously and indicated a group of men clustered a few yards away. Three were tied and gagged, while the others were lying unmoving on the ground. "I'm hoping one of them can tell the authorities who they planned to meet with these girls."

"Heyes…I can't ride all the way to…"

"You don't have to do anything but rest." Heyes looked over at their prisoners. "There's a town about two hours east of here, it's where they went to rustle those fresh horses they brought back with 'em. I'll take the girls and those bandits in with me and then come back with a wagon. The bullet went through, and it bled real good, so the wound is pretty clean—bone's busted though. We'll find a doctor in town to get that fixed up for you." Heyes hoped that his partner couldn't tell how serious it looked or how much blood he'd really lost.

"I'll stay with him," Catherine said firmly, looking at Curry.

"I will stay too," Carmen added quickly.

Heyes gave the two young girls an appraising look. "Alright, keep that fire going and the gun handy. I'll be back as soon as I can." He was already moving toward the horses.

Curry blinked as he tried to take in what Heyes was saying. His gaze wandered back to Catherine. He tried to protest, but she was already arranging things to get him settled, lifting his head to place a blanket roll underneath. He relaxed and laid his head down on the blanket and closed his eyes.

00000

When he awoke a campfire was burning brightly and the sun had gone down. Slowly he became aware of his surroundings. He was wrapped snugly in a blanket with another blanket roll under his head. Carmen was sitting next to the fire and Catherine was kneeling close by holding a canteen. He tried to organize his thoughts and clear his head, but the pain was too intense. There was so much he wanted to say to her, but his leg just hurt too damn much to think.

"You're awake," Catherine said with a sigh of relief. "Are you thirsty?" She held out the canteen and let him take a drink. "I—I don't know what to call you," she said awkwardly.

"Well…" He struggled with the question for a moment and took a ragged breath. "We could try Jed…for a while."

Catherine smiled and nodded. "We could try that…for a while"

Curry smiled as he slipped back into the haze that he had been resting in, but now he heard only comforting words. The crying had stopped.

00000

It was nearly sunrise when Heyes arrived with the wagon. He was relieved to find his partner alive and amazed to hear that he had been conscious part of the night. The wagon ride into town seemed to take an eternity, and Heyes worried every bump and jolt the wagon took caused his friend more harm. The girls tried to make Curry as comfortable as possible and did what they could to protect his leg from further damage, but there was nothing they could do to ease the pain he was experiencing. Throughout the ride, Catherine sat next to her father, trying to be brave and not let him see how worried she was.

The group finally made it into town, and they rode directly to the office of Dr. Hall, whose office they were directed to. Curry was taken immediately into the adjoining room where his leg was examined and splinted. The doctor's expression had been grim throughout.

Heyes stared wordlessly at the still form of his partner lying on the bed in the back of the doctor's office. Curry's face was nearly as white as the sheets pulled up around him, and Heyes could hear the doctor's words echoing in his mind. "With the amount of blood that this man has lost, and the damage that the bullet has done, his chance of his keeping his leg—if he survives—is slim."

Heyes sat alone for what seemed like ages, watching his friend breathe. He felt a sense of futility. His presence could not keep his friend alive, and the best he could hope for was to be by his side if he died.

The voice was soft at first. He barely heard the girl that had crept in the room, and stood quietly behind him.

"Hey," he said gently, "I thought Mrs. Hall was going to get you and Carmen a hot meal and a bath?"

"She did, we're finished and…I brought you a plate."

She extended her arms and offered him the plate that she was carrying.

"Oh," he said with a slightly embarrassed smile. "I guess I sort of lost track of time. Thanks for this," he took the plate eagerly and began to shovel a few forkfuls into his mouth. "Not too bad," he observed as he ate.

"I wasn't very hungry," Catherine commented listlessly.

"Catherine," Heyes said in a harder reprimanding tone "You've barely had anything to eat in the last few days, you were awake all last night and after all that you've—" He stopped abruptly when he saw her eyes beginning to fill with tears.

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry." He reached out and wrapped her in his arms. "I only wanted to make sure that you were taking care of yourself. Hey now, you're alright now, you're going to be fine," he said soothingly as she began to sob.

The girl took a deep breath and pulled away. "No, it's my fault if he dies." She shot a worried glance at the sleeping form next to them.

"No," Heyes said firmly. "This was not your fault. The blame goes to those three down at the jail, and the others back in the desert."

"But if I hadn't run off?" She looked up at him with a tortured look in her eyes.

"You can't think like that. Those men decided to kidnap two innocent girls. You can't blame yourself for being outside."

"I still can't believe he came after me," she said lowering her eyes.

"If you knew him, you'd know that he'd risk everything to save you or any other young girl from the likes of dirty rotten—" he stopped abruptly when Catherine burst into tears.

"But you don't understand. The things I said…I said terrible things to him."

Heyes put his hand on her shoulder and waited until she was ready to continue. He could tell that what she needed now was someone to listen.

"I told him he'd never be my father…and…and that I wished he was dead."

She looked up slowly expecting to see disappointment or even anger in his face. Instead she saw only a wry smile. "Oh, he's taken a whole lot worse than that, sometimes from me."

Seeing her confused look, he continued. "People say things when they're upset, he's not going to hold it against you. Besides, you obviously don't feel that way now."

"No," she confirmed quickly. "I…I'm not sure how I feel, but I want to get to know him. I want to tell him that…I'm sorry, and that I didn't mean it, and…" Suddenly a stricken look came over her face. "But if he doesn't wake up, then…he'll never know…"

"Catherine," Heyes interrupted. "He's pretty tough, and he's a fighter. I've known him all my life and I've never known him to give up." He said the words, hoping he was right. He'd begun to notice changes in his cousin during the last few years. The man had become disillusioned after the amnesty hadn't brought the real _freedom_ that he'd longed for. It seemed that for too many people, _Kid Curry_ would always be a gunfighter. In fact, over the last few months he'd begun to worry about the Kid. He seemed to have lost some of the zeal for life that he'd had even when their futures were uncertain.

"He's going to be alright," Heyes said to reassure himself and the girl.

"Do you think I could sit with him for a while?" Catherine asked hesitantly.

Heyes smiled. "You know, I think that would be a fine idea." He picked up the plate of food and walked into the other room to eat a little before finally getting some much needed sleep.

Eliza and Joseph had arrived the next day. The mother and daughter spent some time together and both cried a little as the ordeal had been retold. Catherine and her mother agreed to a fresh start when Catherine returned home, but the girl insisted on staying with her father until she was sure he would pull through. Eliza had objected at first, but in the end agreed, and she and Joseph returned home.

The couple escorted Carmen and Rachel back with them, and returned them to their very worried families.

Catherine spent every moment she could by her father's side, talking, listening, and sometimes just sitting with him. He told her about his family and growing up on a farm in Kansas. She told him about her horse and her life in New Mexico. He avoided the darker parts of his life and she didn't ask. Someday those questions might come—he expected they would.

Heyes was surprised at first by the girl's dedication, but later, he realized he should have figured—she was, after all, Curry's daughter.

In two weeks the Kid improved dramatically, much to the doctor's surprise, and he reluctantly gave Heyes permission to take Curry back to Wyoming. It had been rough going for a few days, but the Kid's leg had not become infected and he had recovered from the loss of blood and beating that the bandits had given him. Eventually, he had regained enough strength to hobble across the room on crutches, which led the doctor to pronounce him fit to travel.

00000

Sixteen days after the rescue, Kid Curry stood in the doorway of a small boarding house and watched as the stage coach from Silver Springs pulled into town. Leaning against the doorframe and supported by one of the crutches that he had been using, he watched as Eliza and Joseph stepped out and were greeted by a smiling Catherine. They make a nice family, he thought wistfully. He gave the three a quick smile when they looked over and saw him waiting for them.

"Jed," Eliza said hesitantly as she approached. "How can I ever thank you for bringing Catherine back safely?"

Curry looked back indignantly. "She's my daughter Eliza. You should have known I'd never rest until I found her."

"I do know that, Jed, I never should have…I should have told you sooner. I know that now." She dropped her eyes and looked down at the ground.

"I don't know if I was ready before," he admitted slowly.

Eliza continued to look down, for a few minutes. They had both been surprised by the other's honesty. Perhaps forgiveness could triumph over bitterness after all.

"How is your leg?" she asked after an awkward silence.

"It's there," Curry replied with a slight smile.

Eliza looked back nervously. "Will it…will it heal?" She instantly regretted the question.

"I'll get by. I always do," he said lightly, then continued more seriously, "the doc says with some time and some hard work I should be able to walk without this." He tilted his head toward the crutch. "And I can ride," he added with a smile.

Eliza's face showed her relief and Curry's smile widened.

Catherine joined them with Joseph and Heyes in tow. "Mama?" she said with a slight hesitation, there's something I want to ask you."

"What is it?" Eliza asked, glancing from her daughter's face to Curry's, which had suddenly taken on a concerned look.

"This summer, when I'm out of school, can I go and visit Jed and Heyes? They have horses and they said I could ride them and even help with the new foals, and—please?"

"Now, I know Wyoming is a long way from here," Curry began nervously, "but we'd come and get her, and if you're worried that we wouldn't look after her well enough—well we would and—"

"Jed," Eliza interrupted, "the last place in the world that I would ever worry about her would be with you."

Curry blinked and stared at her as though he was sure he hadn't heard her correctly. "Of course she may visit you."

"Really?" he asked as a broad smile spread across his face.

Eliza thought he looked a lot like the curly haired boy she remembered from one summer so many years before.

"Really," she assured him as she smiled back. "Thank you!" Catherine exclaimed as she looked at the group of adults around her and began to think that maybe things were going to get better after all. Maybe these people really did care about her and were being honest with her. _Well,_ she thought, _only one more thing to ask now, maybe I'll wait a little longer to ask that one. _She smiled to herself as she reached down to pick up her mother's bag and carry it into the house.

_Catherine Curry…it has a nice sound to it._

-This story arc continues in Wilde Hearts-


End file.
